


I Love You 3000

by seekrest



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Adult Peter Parker, Babies, Crack Treated Seriously, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Peter Parker is a Good Dad, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), literally an excuse to write 2k of nonsense because I can
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:10:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22474597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekrest/pseuds/seekrest
Summary: “I know she’s working on a suit.”Peter hums non-committedly, Pepper immediately seeing through it for what it was. “You knew.”Pepper sighs again. “You two….” she trails off, Peter about to apologize for keeping it from her only for Pepper to say, “I should’ve guessed when I saw something that looked like MK 3000 on her little notepad the other day.”“3000? Is that what she’s calling it now? Shit, Pep how long has she been in the garage?”Ben looks at Peter then, Peter freezing for a second - hoping that of all the words that he’d learned that Ben wouldn’t have picked up on that one, sighing in relief when he starts to babble again - reaching for the floor.Peter shakes his head, letting him down again only to hear Pepper laugh on the other line.“She never told you?”
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 44
Kudos: 314
Collections: Peter Parker is a Good Dad





	I Love You 3000

**Author's Note:**

> Look, the Peter/MJ tag was at 2,999 fics and this was just BEGGING to be written. Special thanks to blondsak, coconutknightshade and everyone on twitter that encouraged me to hammer out 2k worth of Peter being a chaotic dad. 
> 
> I love him 3000 and that's that on that.

“Come on, Ben.”

“No.” His lips immediately formed into a pout, Peter sighing as he brings the little spoon closer to his mouth, changing his voice as he does.

“Come on, Ben.” Peter sing-songs, watching as Ben’s face turns into a look that’s eerily similar to Michelle as he wiggles the spoon around, “You  _ love _ peas.”

“ _ No. _ ”

“Kid,” Peter says, making a face as he leans forward, “I know we’re still working on your big boy words here but ‘no’ is not the only word in English. Or Spanish. Or French or whatever else we’re supposed to be teaching you.” 

Ben’s face breaks out into a toothless grin, one that Peter can’t help but laugh at - his little voice carrying throughout the kitchen.

“No. No. No. No. No.” He babbles, slapping his hands against the flat surface of his high chair. 

Peter sighs, less exasperated this time as he shakes his head - putting the spoon back into the little tupperware and setting it aside, standing up and reaching to lift Ben out of his high chair.

“Come here you little tyrant.” Peter says, Ben wiggling his arms and legs as he Peter does, resting him on his hip as he looks down at him. “You know your mom would want you to eat your vegetables.”

“No.” Ben says, with all the giggly fervor that his little eight-month old body could contain as Peter smiles, pressing a kiss against his forehead as he nods.

“Then again,” Peter says, adjusting his grip as he walks away from the high chair and towards the living room, “mama wants you to be able to express your boundaries so…” Peter trails off, Ben completely oblivious to his inner debate as he leans forward - reaching out of Peter’s arms and towards the ground so he can crawl to who knows where.

“Alright, alright.” Peter says, walking towards the living room and setting him down - laughing to himself as Ben seemingly bolts across the room - a half-walk, half-crawl that May had said once reminded her of Peter when he’d been little. 

Peter watches him crawl towards where the corner where half his toys were all scattered, making a mental note to try and clean them up when he put Ben down for his nap - even if he knew he’d end up just crashing on the couch.

He walks over the couch to sit down, Ben grabbing one of his massive playblocks and shoving it into his mouth when Peter’s phone stars to buzz - reaching for it in his pajama pants pocket. 

It’d been a last-minute gift for Hanukkah last year from Pepper, joking with him that once he made the move to be a stay-at-home dad that he would appreciate any kind of loungewear that was comfortable as well as practical.

Peter had laughed at the time, but thanked her - thinking to himself that his old sweatpants would be fine. 

But as he digs the cellphone out of his pocket, he makes another mental note to text Pepper to tell her thank you - only for him to smile in surprise to see that she’s the one calling him. 

“Hey welcome to Dominos, what can I get you?” Peter answers the phone, hearing Pepper’s laugh on the other line.

“Medium cheese please, anchovies on the side.” Peter wrinkles his nose in disgust. 

“Anchovies? Really?”

Pepper laughs again, Peter smiling as she says, “Don’t knock it till you try it.” 

“I’ll trust your word for it.” Peter says, watching as Ben’s attention switches from the yellow block towards the red one, reaching for the tin only for the entire thing to fall in his lap. 

He winces at the crash, Ben seemingly pausing for a moment only to squeal again - making a small ‘uh oh’ sound that makes Peter laugh, Ben turning to look at him as he does. 

“You okay over there?” Pepper asks over the phone, Peter smiling as he says, “Yeah we’re good. Ben here’s getting into construction now.” 

Ben babbles something completely incoherent to Peter, waving one of his blocks towards him before shoving it back into his mouth - Peter glancing around the room for his teething ring. 

“Ah.” Pepper says, Peter not seeing it within reach when she continues. “They’re great at that age.”

“Yeah, he’s a little booger is what he is.” Peter smirks, watching Ben as he plays around with the blocks before remembering that Pepper had likely called for a reason. “Anyway, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to see if you were still free to come by for Morgan’s birthday next week.” 

Peter whistles. “Yeah, of course. Wow, she’s gonna be what, sixteen?”

“Don’t remind me.” Pepper’s voice warns on the other line, Peter laughing as she says, “God, what I wouldn’t give for her to be a baby again.”

“You sure?” Peter jokes. “You know when I was younger I used to think I never slept but after Ben…” he laughs, “I’m not sure I’ll ever sleep again.”

“Doesn’t get any easier, kiddo.” Pepper replies, the warmth in her voice so clear even if there’s the slightest tinge of sadness. “You just get used to it over time.”

Peter says nothing, his mind inexplicably going towards someone else who had used to have a lot of sleepless nights, Pepper’s mind apparently going the same place when she says, “I forget sometimes.”

“Hmm?”

She laughs, a quiet one as Ben continues to babble in the background. “In the middle of the night, sometimes I’ll wake up and still think he’s just-- just in the office or in the garage.” Pepper says, a familiar ache in his gut as she continues. “And then I’ll remember.”

‘Yeah.” Peter says, smiling as Ben starts to wave his hands around - bored of the blocks as he glances back to Peter. “I do it sometimes too. He’d get a kick out of Ben, you know?”

“Oh Peter,” he hears the way her voice changes - concern and love all mixed together when she says, “I didn’t even think--”

“It’s okay, Pep.” Peter says, knowing even if he’d lost several people in his life - his parents, Ben, Tony - that the number of losses didn’t really matter. 

A loss was a loss, one that Peter would never diminish. 

“It’s nice though to remember them.” Peter says, hearing Pepper softly laugh. 

“It is. He’d be proud of you.” A beat. “I didn’t know your uncle or your parents, but-- I know they’d be proud of you too.”

“Thanks, Pepper.” Peter says, Ben’s babbling turning more into a whine as he starts to crawl towards the television - Peter immediately standing up to go pick him up. “But uh yeah, MJ and I’ll be there next week.”

“Sounds great, Peter.” 

Peter walks over to Ben, his little arms immediately reaching for him as he lifts him into his arms - Ben immediately waving his hands around as he asks, “Any clues on what she wants?”

Pepper laughs a little louder this time. “Who knows with that girl. Just like her father. You know she’s been messing around in the garage?”

“You’re kidding.” Peter says, gently swaying back and forth as Ben starts to squeal. 

“She thinks I don’t know what she’s doing but,” Pepper sighs, “I know she’s working on a suit.”

Peter hums non-committedly, Pepper immediately seeing through it for what it was. “You knew.” 

Ben starts to squirm in his arms, Peter bouncing him around the living room. “Maybe.” 

Pepper sighs again. “I should’ve guessed. You two….” she trails off, Peter about to apologize for keeping it from her only for Pepper to say, “I should’ve guessed when I saw something that looked like MK 3000 on her little notepad the other day.”

“3000? Is that what she’s calling it now? Shit, Pep how long has she been in the garage?” 

Ben looks at Peter then, Peter freezing for a second - hoping that of all the words that he’d learned that Ben wouldn’t have picked up on that one, sighing in relief when he starts to babble again - reaching for the floor. 

Peter shakes his head, letting him down again only to hear Pepper laugh on the other line. “She never told you?”

“Told me what?” Peter asks, eyebrows furrowing in confusion when Ben seems to be put out that he’s back on the ground - especially since that’s seemingly what he’d been wanting in the first place.

“That was a thing between them,” Pepper says, Peter walking backwards from Ben as he crawls towards him - laughing to himself and making it into a game as she continues, “used to tell each other that they loved each other  _ 3000 _ .”

Peter smiles, Ben’s slight frustration being successfully avoided and turned into a game - crawling after Peter as he backs up again. “3000 huh?”

“Yeah.” Pepper says sadly, Peter getting the sense that there’s more she wants to say but doesn’t when the other line beeps, Peter checking to see that it’s Michelle. 

Before he goes to say anything, Pepper cuts through saying, “Anyway, we’ll talk about your covert suit situation next week. I gotta head into a meeting.”

“Bye Pep, see you.” Pepper clicks off as she usually does, Peter immediately answering the phone as Ben squeals - Michelle’s voice ringing through on the other line.

“Hey, I’m heading home for lunch. What are you two doing?”

“Crawl tag.” Peter says, “High stakes, I think Ben’s winning.” Peter says, Ben laughing as Peter deftly walks around the couch - Ben giggling as he crawls even faster towards him. 

“Of course he is.” Michelle deadpans, “He’s my kid.”

“ _ Our _ kid, MJ.  _ Ours _ .” Peter grins, already anticipating Michelle’s reply.

“You push an eight-pound baby out of your vagina and then you’ll get to say our. Anything great he does, he’s mine.”

Peter laughs, letting Ben catch up to him and dramatically falling fall to the floor - Ben’s squeals as he climbs his leg filling the room. 

“Caught you?” 

“I’m done. Toast. Say great things at my funeral.” Peter jokes, Michelle laughing as Ben crawls over him. 

“Only the best for my favorite dumbass.” Michelle replies, Ben’s face filling his vision as she says, “I’ll be home in ten. Think you can survive till then?”

“Outlook not looking so good, Em.” Peter says, Ben’s little arms immediately reaching around his neck as he throws his whole body weight down on him, giggling. “Might be squished by then.” 

“Just like a spider should.” 

Peter laughs, rolling his eyes as Ben stares at him - Peter smiling as he says, “Love you.” 

“Love you too. See you in a minute.” 

Peter hangs up the phone, setting it down on the floor and grabbing Ben lifting him up as his arms and legs start to squirm - babbling and jerking himself every which way as Peter smiles at him.

“You’re a little monster you know that?” 

Ben babbles to him, a mixture of incoherent nonsense that warms Peter heart, the love he has for his son overwhelming in a way that he’s sure will never go away. 

He inexplicably thinks of Morgan, the not so little girl that he considers like a sister - his heart breaking in a different way at the thought that even if she was surrounded by love, that she still spent her afternoon and nights locked away in a garage, emulating the father that she never got to grow up with. 

The ever-present fear of leaving Ben and Michelle behind is never far from his mind - the losses that he’d faced in his life since he was young always ringing in the background, a part of the reason why he’d allowed Spider-Man to take a backseat while he stayed at home with Ben. 

But a part of Peter knows that it won’t be forever, that his sense of responsibility to the people of New York - to  _ himself _ \- won’t be able to be stopped for long. 

Ben’s squeals bring him out of his thoughts, sitting himself up as he smiles - looking down at his son in his arms before bringing him close, his hands reaching for Peter’s face. 

“But I love you. I love you so much, kiddo.” 

Ben’s little hands tap against his face, Peter just smiling more as he remembers Pepper’s words - wondering what Tony and everyone else that was gone in his life would think if they could see him now. 

“I love you  _ 3000 _ . How about that huh? Do you love dada 3000?”

Ben babbles, reaching for Peter once more - the kind of grin on his face that  _ convinces _ Peter that Ben knows exactly what he’s saying, even if a part of him knows that it’s impossible - throwing his head back in laughter when Ben finally speaks. 

“ _ No _ .” 


End file.
